Beer

There’s nothing better than a cold beer after work with Glenn E. Rice, my colleague in crime reportage and fellow graybeard, and Katy Bergen, a genuine Jersey girl and Facebook Live superstar. Although, actually, a cold beer with anybody after work is something I enjoy. Come to think of it, it really doesn’t have to be after work. A cold beer just about anytime hits the spot. And frankly, if I have to sip a cold one alone, that’s OK. It doesn’t necessarily have to be cold as far as I’m concerned, either. So to recap: I like beer.

Trivia Riot with Roland

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It’s a Friday night tradition that brings together some of the Kansas City area’s smartest people, plus me and my team. If you think you’re a pretty good trivia player, but you’ve never tried this game, well then, come give it a try and prepare to be humbled. But win or lose, and we lose much, much more often than we win, it’s always a challenging and fun way to spend a Friday night. Plus it’s held at a bar, Helen’s on Armour Road in North Kansas City. See my first item above.

Old music videos

The last time I played trivia was a few weeks ago, and in a rare (for us) feat of skill and luck, our team actually won. And my ability to look at a still image of an old music video and identify the group and song earned us some big points. So one of my favorite things of late paid off. It’s become a kind of habit forming for me: surfing YouTube for music videos or live music performances by favorite artists. Some highlights for me: Traffic live in 1972 in Santa Monica doing “Dear Mr. Fantasy”; Jimi Hendrix covering “Sunshine of Your Love” on “The Lulu Show” on TV in 1969; and Bruce Springsteen and Elvis Costello together performing “Radio Nowhere” and “Radio Radio.”

My granddaughter

And then, there is being a first-time grandfather. Her name is Raven, and she is now 8 months old. I had no idea how much joy there is in beholding the fruit of the loins of the fruit of your loins. Unfortunately, she and her parents are currently in New Mexico, so I have to be content with videos, photos and FaceTime sessions where she constantly tries to grab the phone and eat it. Others have always told me that being a grandparent is great. Now I know. It’s like the heavenly payoff for enduring the (sometimes) purgatory of raising your own kids. I recommend it highly.